Saturday, February 26, 2022

Sen. Amanda Chase: Here's What Happened this Week in Richmond

SESSION 2022
WEEK 7

WEEKLY FRIDAY UPDATE
from
Senator Amanda Chase



Dear Friends and Supporters,

Wanted to give you a quick update from the week. In the Senate we are now reviewing House bills. Unfortunately, very few of the House bills are making it out of the Democrat controlled Senate committees. One bill that did make it out of the Senate today was a risk limiting audit bill. While this is better than nothing, "We the People" want a FULL forensic audit.

Let me give you an example. When a risk limiting audit was done after the 2020 Presidential Election, in Amelia County, only 1 vote of about 14,000 was reviewed. Friends, that is no audit. A full forensic audit would examine all 14,000 ballots, the poll books and all of the equipment associated with the election. So don't be fooled when some say we passed a bill calling for an election audit.

We also passed out of the Senate the budget bill, which I could not support. Neither could most of my Republican colleagues. The Republican controlled House passed a separate budget bill, which should be more conservative and I hope to support. Currently, the budget bills are billions in dollars apart. Today, the budget conferees were chosen and they will work out the differences.

Thank you again for your love and support. Hope you enjoy some of the pictures and videos from this week in Richmond during session.


WE ARE NOW IN CROSS OVER WHICH STARTED TUESDAY THE 15th. All House bills now come to the Senate, and all Senate bills go to the House.

Here are the Senate bills of which I am a Chief Co-Patron and Co-Patron that have thankfully survived the Democrat controlled Senate. These bills will come before the House beginning next week.


Co-Patron
SB39 Elections; form of ballot; party identification of candidates on ballots; constitutional officers. Extends to elections for constitutional officers the requirement that ballots identify the nominating political party for party candidates and identify independent candidates as such. Currently, this requirement applies only to federal, statewide, and General Assembly elections.



Co-Patron
SB80 State and local elections officials; acceptance of certain gifts and funding prohibited. Prohibits state and local elections officials from soliciting, accepting, using, or disposing of any moneys, grants, property, or services given by a private individual or nongovernmental entity for the purpose of funding voter education and outreach programs, voter registration programs, or any other expense incurred in the conduct of elections. The bill specifically provides that the operation of a polling place or voter satellite office in a facility furnished by a private individual or nongovernmental entity is not a violation of this prohibition.



Co-Patron
SB159 Public institutions of higher education; debt collection; transcripts and diplomas. Prohibits public institutions of higher education from (i) refusing to provide a transcript or diploma for a current or former student on the grounds that the student owes a debt; (ii) conditioning the provision of a transcript or diploma for a current or former student on the payment of a debt, other than a fee charged to provide the transcript or diploma; (iii) charging a higher fee to a current or former student for obtaining a transcript or diploma, or providing less favorable treatment of a transcript or diploma request because a current or former student owes a debt; or (iv) using transcript or diploma issuance as a tool for debt collection. The bill states that any violation of these provisions constitutes a prohibited practice and is subject to any and all of the enforcement provisions of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act



Co-Patron
SB198Disposition when defendant found incompetent; involuntary admission of the defendant. Provides that when a defendant is found incompetent, the court may, after a pre-admission screening report has been completed and the court has made a finding by clear and convincing evidence that a crime has occurred, without objection by counsel for the defendant as to the defendant's competency to stand trial and upon motion of the attorney for the Commonwealth or its own motion, permit the community services board or behavioral health authority to petition for involuntary admission of the defendant and enter an order of nolle prosequi or dismissal for the criminal charge. Under current law, the court is required to order that the defendant receive treatment to restore his competency. The bill also clarifies the process following the completion of the competency evaluation of a defendant.



B528 Income tax; military benefits subtraction; emergency. Establishes an income tax subtraction for up to $20,000 of military benefits in taxable year 2021, up to $30,000 in taxable year 2022, and up to $40,000 in taxable year 2023 and each year thereafter. The bill defines military benefits to include military retirement income and benefits paid to the surviving spouse of a veteran. The bill contains an emergency clause.



Co-Patron
SB656 Board of Education; policy on sexually explicit instructional material. Requires the Board of Education to establish, and each local school board to comply with, a policy to require each public elementary or secondary school to (i) notify the parent of any student whose teacher reasonably expects to provide instructional material that includes sexually explicit content, (ii) permit the parent of any student to review instructional material that includes sexually explicit content upon request, and (iii) provide, as an alternative to instructional material and related academic activities that include sexually explicit content, nonexplicit instructional material and related academic activities to any student whose parent so requests.


UPDATE: On SB739 Passed the house and waiting to be signed by Governor 02/16/22 Governor: Acts of Assembly Chapter text

Co-Patron
SB739 Public elementary and secondary schools and public school-based early childhood care and education programs; student instruction; masks. Requires, except in the case of the 10 unscheduled remote learning days otherwise permitted by law or in certain cases of student discipline, each school board to offer in-person instruction, as defined in the bill, to each student enrolled in the local school division in a public elementary or secondary school for at least the minimum number of required annual instructional hours and to each student enrolled in the local school division in a public school-based early childhood care and education program for the entirety of the instructional time provided pursuant to such program. The bill permits, notwithstanding any other provision of law or any regulation, rule, or policy implemented by a school board, school division, school official, or other state or local authority, the parent of any child enrolled in a public elementary or secondary school, or in any school-based early childhood care and education program, to elect for such child to not wear a mask while on school property. The bill provides that no parent making such an election shall be required to provide a reason or any certification of the child's health or education status and no student shall suffer any adverse disciplinary or academic consequences as a result of this parental election.


UPDATE: On HB55 Passed the house and waiting to be signed by Governor 02/23/22 Governor: Acts of Assembly Chapter text


SB55 Voter registration; list maintenance; lists of decedents transmitted by State Registrar of Vital Records. Requires the State Registrar of Vital Records to transmit to the Department of Elections a weekly list of decedents from the previous week. Currently, this list is transmitted monthly. The bill requires the general registrars to use this information to conduct list maintenance and to promptly cancel the registration of a person on the list. Votes 39 to 1



Co-Patron
SB 4 Emergency Services and Disaster Law; limitation on duration of executive orders. Emergency Services and Disaster Law; limitation on duration of executive orders. Limits the duration of any executive order issued by the Governor pursuant to his powers under the Emergency Services and Disaster Law to no more than 45 days from the date of issuance. The bill provides that if the General Assembly does not take any action on the rule, regulation, or order within the 45 days during which the rule, regulation, or order is effective, the Governor shall thereafter be prohibited from issuing the same or a similar rule, regulation, or order relating to the same emergency. Under current law, once issued, such executive orders are effective until June 30 following the next regular session of the General Assembly.


UPDATE: On SB5 02/22/22 House: Reported from General Laws (21-Y 1-N)

Co-Patron
SB 5 Virginia Freedom of Information Act; Virginia Parole Board member votes. Provides that individual votes of the members of the Virginia Parole Board are public records and subject to the provisions of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.

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